Trump briefing: He defends claims coronavirus was going away by itself

On February 23, White Home commerce adviser Peter Navarro addressed a memo to President Donald Trump warning that as many as 2 million People may die from the coronavirus. Trump desires you to consider it was by no means delivered to his consideration.

That memo and one other equally dire memo Navarro authored in January have been revealed on Monday by Axios. Requested about them in the course of the newest White Home coronavirus activity drive briefing, Trump performed dumb.

“I didn’t see ’em, however I heard some memos speaking about pandemic [sic],” Trump stated on Tuesday. “I didn’t see ’em, I didn’t search for ’em both. However that was about the identical time as I felt that we must always do it, that was about the identical time that we closed it down.”

It’s true that by February 23, Trump had restricted journey from China. However the virus was already spreading inside america. And Trump’s public statements belie the revisionist historical past he’s now providing about how he took the coronavirus critically from the start.

As an illustration, throughout a information convention on February 26, Trump said, “when you will have 15 [coronavirus cases], and the 15 inside a few days goes to be down to shut to zero, that’s a reasonably good job we’ve achieved.”

However as an alternative of taking place “near zero,” america now has practically 400,000 instances lower than two months out from Trump uttering these phrases. Throughout Tuesday’s briefing, a reporter pressed him on this level.

“When Peter Navarro did flow into these memos, you have been nonetheless downplaying the specter of coronavirus within the US,” the reporter stated. “You have been saying issues like, ‘I feel it’s an issue that’s going to go away inside a few days —’”

“Which I’m proper about,” Trump interjected.

The reporter continued: “You stated ‘inside a few days the instances shall be all the way down to zero.’”

Given the present magnitude of coronavirus instances within the US, you may assume Trump’s remark about coronavirus going away by itself could be an excessive amount of even for him to attempt to defend. You’d be unsuitable.

“Nicely, the instances actually didn’t construct up for some time,” Trump replied.

Trump later claimed that even when he had learn the memo, it wouldn’t have made any distinction as a result of “I principally did what the memo stated.” However he didn’t.

Navarro’s memo beneficial important speedy federal funding in private safety gear (PPE) for well being care staff. However federal businesses largely held off on such expenditures till mid-March, when the disaster was already spinning uncontrolled. Trump’s line on that time has been that states ought to’ve achieved extra to assist themselves.

If Trump actually didn’t be taught of Navarro’s memo till media studies about it in current days, it’s an indictment of his administration — in spite of everything, you’d anticipate a high official’s conclusion that as many as 2 million People may die from a virus could be value bringing to his consideration. But when he did see it and never solely didn’t act however instructed the general public that the coronavirus would go away “like a miracle” as he did on February 27, then in some ways in which’s even worse.

What we do know is that, for no matter motive, Trump was indulging in wishful pondering throughout a crucial interval during which extra proactive measures may’ve saved lives. And in consequence, the goalposts have now moved to some extent the place Trump is getting ready to tout as many as 100,000 American deaths as a win.

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